The research that became this book was possible because of several generous grants. I have been a recipient of the following support: a Fulbright-Hays Grant in 1991; an Indiana University College of Arts and Sciences Second Semester Fellowship in 1994; an American Council of Learned Societies/Social Science Research Council International Postdoctoral Fellowship (made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities) in 1997–8; and a Bernadotte E. Schmitt Grant from the American Historical Association in 1998. I am also grateful to the Brown University Office of the Dean of the Faculty for a Junior Sabbatical in 1997 and for a subvention to underwrite the costs of producing this book. I would like to acknowledge the permission of the Chief Directorate of Surveys and Mapping in South Africa to use their copyrighted map material and aerial photographs to make the maps and reproductions of aerial photographs in this book. I also thank the MacGregor Museum in Kimberley for permission to use copyrighted historic photographs of the Kuruman area.

Of all the people I must thank for their assistance and support, I will begin with my teachers. First, I thank my professors at Calvin College, who taught me to consider justice and encouraged me to take up the academic life. I am especially grateful to Wallace Bratt and Barbara Carvill. Alan Boesak, who taught me at Calvin College for one semester, was a tremendous influence.